


All the Time in the World (To Be in Love)

by Maaarken



Series: The Time It Takes [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: All the Avengers make an appearance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Animals, Artist Steve Rogers, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Tony Stark, M/M, Multi, Slice of Life, Teacher Steve Rogers, Tiny bit of Angst, War Veteran Bucky Barnes, genius billionaire not playboy anymore philanthropist Tony Stark, insecure everyone, lots of pets, they all dumb but we love them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-07-21 00:02:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16148333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maaarken/pseuds/Maaarken
Summary: Just Steve, Bucky and Tony being in love.Because sometimes it can be hard to be in a poly relationship. Because sometimes they have doubts. Because sometimes they have insecurities.But they always have each other.(And lots of animals. The animals are half the plot)





	1. Cuddle Companion

**Author's Note:**

> This continues a few months after the first part of the series. All chapters will be more or less disconnected, but they will be in chronological order.
> 
> Also, I'd like to ask for forgiveness now; there will be a lot of references to Twilight. Sorry for inflicting this on you

"You're impossibly fast. And strong. Your skin is... pale white, and ice cold. Your eyes change color... and sometimes you speak like - like you're from a different time. You never eat or drink anything; you don't go into the sunlight."

Tony sighed, only to be hushed by Steve, who looked captivated by the screen. He knew he had promised not to complain during movie nights, since they all took turns choosing the movies they would watch. But in the last weeks, Bucky had decided that it would be nice to watch all of the Twilight movies in reverse chronological order. Heathen.

"How old are you?"  
"Seventeen."  
"How long have you been seventeen?"  
"...a while."

Only Bucky would think it a good idea to have three grown-ass men listen to movies made for prepubescent girls. And only Bucky would think it a better idea to watch them wrong. Tony sighed again, but this time it was Bucky himself who shushed him.

"Shush, Edward."

Tony grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I know what you are."  
"Say it... out loud. Say it."  
"Vampire."

"What, really?" asked Steve, surprised by what was happening on the screen.

Tony could only watch his boyfriend with wide eyes while his other boyfriend laughed.

"Steve, it's the fifth Twilight movie we're watching in two weeks, it's not exactly a surprising plot twist anymore!"  
"Oh," is all the blonde says, before his attention shifts back to the screen.

They are sitting on the L-shaped sofa they recently bought - the old one was too small to fit them all comfortably. Steve is the one in the corner, laying back on a big cushion. He always takes that place because Sam likes to sleep on him. Even now, the brown Lab is stretched over Steve like a blanket, with his cute little head on the blonde's chest. Tony is next to him, arms still crossed and regretting his decision to ever let Bucky choose a movie. Bucky is on Tony's other side, his cats snuggled up against him. He found them a month and a half ago. The kittens had been abandoned in a cardboard box, so Bucky had went every day to take care of them and earn their trust, until he had finally taken them in, much to Tony's dismay - cats hair everywhere! The grey one is called Pietro, and is currently sleeping in the crook of Bucky's arm. The reddish-brown one is a little lady called Wanda, and she is all curled up on Bucky's belly.

Watching the animals being petted (well, just Sam, since Bucky only has one arm, which is currently supporting Pietro) makes Tony feel a bit lonely. Before the kittens' arrival in their home, movie nights where a moment for Tony, Steve and Bucky to spend time together. They would watch romantic movies and kiss each other, or eat popcorn while watching action-packed movies, which would usually end up in a popcorn war. The popcorn war would sometimes turn into a tickle war, with Steve and Bucky siding together against Tony (because apparently Tony was cute when he was being tickled. This is false, obviously, since Tony is a very manly man who is not cute but manly). Sometimes, they would instead watch horror movies, which would scare Steve, make Tony laugh and Bucky would protest about how unrealistic it all was.

But now they had cats who needed love and cuddles at all times, mostly during movie nights. And Sam, who used to rest at their feet, had gotten jealous and decided he also wanted cuddles during movie nights. Hence, Tony felt lonely during movie nights.

So when, two days later, Tony is in his lab, in the basement of their house, working on yet another invention, he refuses Steve's proposition of doing a movie night.

"But we're all free tonight, and I thought we could spend time together," says Steve to convince him.  
"I'm working," answers Tony, which is technically not a lie.  
"You're always working," protests Steve. "Plus, it's my turn to choose the movie and I picked The Nice, the Mean and the Pretty. Don't you like that movie?"

Tony has to bite back a laugh.

"It's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Steve."  
"So, you're coming?" simply says Steve with a smile etched on his lips, and suddenly Tony isn't so sure it was an honest mistake.

So instead he focuses on his work, even though he knows Steve is too stubborn to just leave him alone.

"I was thinking we could make a popcorn war," proposes Steve.  
"You can't just plan a popcorn war!" protests Tony. "Popcorn wars are a spur of the moment thing. If you plan it, you lose all of its appeal."

Anyway, Tony knows there won't be any popcorn war. Bucky and Steve never want to disturb the pets sleeping on them. That means no tickle war either, and no making out - Tony already tried that; Bucky had lectured him for half an hour about how it was a bad example to make out in front of babies and that they would be horrible parents if they were to traumatize them.

Steve sighs, grabs Tony and throws him over his shoulder like a potato bag.

"You don't actually have a choice, Tony. You've already been in the lab for eight hours today. You'll continue tomorrow."

Tony wants to complain, but he knows it'll just make him look like a kid, so instead he settles for playing drums with Steve's butt cheeks. It makes Bucky chuckles when they arrive in the home cinema.

"I'll make the popcorn," he says with a smile.

He leaves for the kitchen and Steve drops Tony on the sofa, before sitting next to him.

"What's the problem?" he asks, because he's always been too good at reading Tony.  
"Nothing," answers Tony, because he can be stubborn, too.  
"Tony," says Steve seriously, "are you having doubts about… us?"  
"What?" almost screams Tony, who was definitely not expecting that. "Of course not, I love you! And Bucky, too, even after he made us watch Twilight. In reverse order. Why? Are you?"

Tony can see a tension he hadn't noticed yet just evaporate from Steve's body.

"I don't have doubts either," he reassures the engineer before kissing him softly. "But you've always been so enthusiastic about movie nights, but not anymore. I don't understand what changed."  
"It's nothing," tries Tony, but it falls flat.  
"Tony, please don't lie to me. I'm worried."

The brunette sighs.

"Promise you won't laugh?"  
"You know I wouldn't laugh about you," promises Steve.

Unlike Bucky, who wouldn't even pretend not to be laughing.

"It's just that… Okay, it's kinda stupid. I'm jealous."  
"What? But you're in the middle of the couch?"  
"Not of you two! Of the animals!"

Behind him, Bucky bursts out laughing. Of course, Bucky arrived just for that part.

"You into zoophilia now, Tony?" he jokes.  
"I'm dating you, am I not?" retorts Tony.

Steve glares at the vet.

"I thought you were making popcorn?"  
"Yes, and I'm done."  
"Then make more."  
"You sure know how to make a guy feel unwanted," says Bucky as he goes back in the kitchen, presumably to make more popcorn.

Tony can feel his cheeks burning.

"You can explain yourself, now that our jokester is away."  
"I can still hear!" calls out Bucky from the kitchen.

Steve's lips are stretched in this soft smile he always has when he mock-argues with Bucky or Tony. It's a smile the genius likes very much, thank you, and he can feel his heart swell in his chest.

"So?" he presses Tony.  
"It's just that we used to cuddle and play together. We had popcorn wars. But now you guys just cuddle your pets and I stand awkwardly in the middle."  
"If it's just that, I'm sure they'll survive not getting cuddles a few nights a week," smiles Steve. "Tonight, it'll be just you, me and Buck."

And indeed, that night they put Sam in his bed at their feet, and place Pietro and Wanda next to him. They seem confused for a moment but settle against Sam's warm body. Steve, Bucky and Tony cuddle on the couch, and Bucky throws a popcorn in the middle of Steve's forehead, so Tony joins him and attacks Steve with popcorn. The blonde tries to stay stoic for a bit, but then joins in on the fun and starts tickling Tony. Bucky seems to think tickling Tony is funnier than attacking Steve, so he holds Tony down to stop him from protecting himself. Tony tries to twist himself to get free, but his boyfriends are too strong and won't let him go. He wanted attention? Now he can have it.

The engineer tries to call out to Sam for help, in between two waves of laughter. The Labrador is more than happy to be called and jumps on them, throwing the kittens off him at the same time. He licks Tony's face excitedly. Wanda goes back to sleep away from them, but Pietro starts running in circles around the sofa. Tony ends up kicking Steve a bit too strongly, his face is full of dog spit, and his sides are hurting from laughing so much. Bucky's hair is all over the place, and Tony can't resist kissing him.

All in all, it's a good evening.

A few days later, Tony is working in his lab when Bucky comes and picks him up, just like Steve had. So Tony drums on his butt cheeks, like he had done to Steve.

"Is it going to become an habit?" he asks.  
"What? You drumming on my ass?" jokes Bucky.  
"No, you and Steve carrying me like a potato bag."  
"Steve said the only way to make you leave the lab is by force, so…"  
"That's not true! You could lure me out with the promise of coffee. Or a blowjob. Just sex in general would work."

Bucky chuckles.

"Would the promise of a gift work too?"

Tony immediately raises his head and stops hitting Bucky's bum.

"A gift? What is it?"  
"It's a surprise!" sing-songs the vet.  
"That is so unfair! You can't tell me there's a surprise without telling me the surprise!"  
"That's how surprises work, Tony," laughs Steve.

Steve? Tony can't see him, as he is still facing Bucky's back like a big potato bag, so he tries to lower himself to see in between Bucky's legs, presuming Steve is facing Bucky. He almost falls, but Bucky's grip is strong enough to hold him in place.

"Hey, careful!" Buck says.

He helps Tony get down (with his feet on the floor first, not his head). Tony immediately looks up to Steve, guessing he is the one holding the gift. But there is no gift in his hands. Instead, there is a tabby cat sleeping in his arms.

"Hum, what?" is his dignified response.  
"Well," starts Steve, "we thought maybe you would also want a cuddle companion? We found her at an animal shelter. Her name is Maria. Uhh… If you don't want her, I guess we can bring her back? I really hope you want her, because she is nice and cute and she deserves a good family and-"  
"Breathe, Stevie," jokes Bucky.

Steve isn't usually the one rambling (Tony is), so it proves how stressed he is.

"Err, Maria was my mom's name," says Tony.

The realization dawns on Steve's face and he blanches.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry, I- we didn't-"  
"We can bring her back, the shelter will probably take her back," tries Bucky.  
"No!" protests Tony. "I mean, she's cute. As Steve said, she deserves a home and… We can maybe just change her name a little? I mean, it is pretty bad taste to have a cat with the same name as one of my parents, so…"  
"We could call her Peggy," proposes Steve.  
"Or Sharon?" adds Bucky.  
"Melinda?"  
"Daisy?"  
"Skye?"  
"Jemma?  
"Rebecca?"  
"My sister was called Rebecca," says Bucky.

Steve freezes again. He can't believe he had forgotten that. He knew about Tony's mother, too. What a klutz he is today.

"Maybe I should just stop talking for today?"  
"You have a sister?" asks Tony at the same time.  
"Had," rectifies Bucky. "She died when I was young. Cancer."  
"I'm sorry."  
"It's okay. She had a happy life. Got married to a dude, and he was with her 'til the end of the line. It was hard at the moment, I was just a teen, but it was a long time ago. It's not like I could have done anything."  
"My mom died when I was young too. Car crash. Usually my parents had a driver, but that time my dad was driving. His drunk ass got her killed."

Tony knows the resentment is too apparent in his voice, but he's never forgiven his dad for killing his mom. For all he cares, Howard is just a murderer.

"Soooo, the cat?" asks Steve, trying to change the subject to a less depressing matter.  
"Real smooth," chuckles Bucky, but it still marks the end of that conversation.  
"Mariahill! Her name will be Mariahill!" exclaims Tony.  
"Mariahill?" repeats Steve, "That's an… interesting choice."  
"Like you're one to talk, you gave a _people_ name to a dog. She needs a name that won't be too different than her old one, or she'll be confused."  
"But Mariahill isn't even a name," protests Bucky.  
"Maybe Mariana would be better?" proposes Steve.

Tony glares at the two of them alternately, before saying:

"I thought it was a gift for me?"  
"Ah, right. So, you can choose," agrees Steve, "even though I think you could find her a better name."  
"Yes, but Sam is already taken," laughs Tony.

The dog comes running when he hears his name. Steve just glares at Tony, and hands the cat over to him. She meows. Tony holds her against his chest and pet her softly. She purrs and Tony beams.

"She likes me!"

He can see the look Steve and Bucky share, but he focuses all of his attention on the little purrs. He is amazed at how nice the cat is. Pietro is too hyperactive and only cuddles with Bucky. Wanda barely tolerates Steve and hates Tony as if he'd killed her parents. But Mariahill purrs against him and he's never had that before and it's a magical moment.

"I think I'm going to cry," he confesses, and both his boyfriends turn to face him, alarmed.

"Maybe we could show her the litter?" proposes Steve, not understanding why Tony wants to cry.

"No!" protests Tony. He realizes how loud he was and flinches. He whispers: "I can't move. What if she stops purring?"

And it's there, in the middle of the living room, surrounded by his two boyfriends, a dog and two kittens, as he holds a purring cat for the first time in his life, that Tony realizes how happy he is.


	2. Sacrifice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the second chapter, and I hope you will enjoy it!

Tony walks in the living room to see Bucky napping on a sofa, Wanda sleeping on his belly. Steve is sitting next to them, a pen in his hand and his sketching book on his knees. Tony creeps up behind him to look at the drawing. It's amazing, like all of Steve's art. Steve is perfect at drawing portraits. There's a reason he decided to become an art teacher after leaving the military.

Tony remembers when they met, when Steve had just started his new job as a teacher. It had surprised him to see that such a muscular man was an artist, and Steve had explained that he had been working out a lot for his job in the military. That had even more surprised Tony, because who left the military to become an art teacher? He'd regretted asking the question when Steve had told him he had enrolled with his late fiancé, who had been killed in action. A military career hadn't felt the same without him. Yep, it had been great first date material.

Steve finishes the last touches of his drawing and turns to Tony.

"You like it?" he whispers.  
"Of course. It's beautiful. And the subject isn't too bad."

Steve chuckles, but doesn't say anything.

"Can you show me you other drawings?" asks Tony.

Steve agrees and gives Tony some place to sit next to him. They look at sketch after sketch. All of them are of Bucky. In one he is smiling, in another reading a book or sleeping with either Wanda or Pietro. Sometimes even Sam is there, next to Bucky. Bucky is beautiful in all of them, so easily recognizable, so real.

"That's a lot of Bucky in there," says Tony when they finish going through the whole sketchbook.  
"Oh, yes, I have a sketchbook by subject. This one is Bucky's. I have one for the pets. Another for you. And a last one for landscapes and such."  
"Can I see them? Do you have drawings of Mariahill?" asks Tony with a smile.  
"Sure, I'll go get them," says Steve, but he sounds uncertain.

He stands up and leaves, and Tony watches Bucky sleeping peacefully until the blonde comes back.

"Here they are."

He has two sketchbooks in his hands. One seems old, with pages sticking out of it and the cover used. The other seems almost brand new and has probably been used less.

Steve opens the old one first, and Tony somewhat expect for it to be his. But it's not. The first pages all are of Sam. On most he is sleeping, but always in different position. Then there are also pictures of Wanda and Pietro. Sometimes it's only one of them, sometimes it's both, sometimes all three pets are nestled together. The drawings are perfect, like all of Steve's sketches. The last pages also contain pictures of Mariahill, sleeping on the bed or the sofa.  
Then Steve takes the new sketchbook.

"This one looks new," says Tony.  
"Ah, actually I have it since we started dating," says Steve.

For a moment, Tony is confused. The other two are both used and almost full, but they are both more recent than this one. Tony and Steve adopted Sam together (well, Tony got it as a gift for Steve because he knew Steve wanted a dog, but still), so the sketchbook of Tony should be older and fuller than the others.

As soon as Steve opens it, Tony understands.

The first drawings are weird. They don't resemble Tony at all. Only his facial hair is recognizable. His eyes are weird in one, in the other it's his nose that doesn't fit. In all of them, there is a little something that is just plain wrong. The following drawings are not even complete. In some he doesn't have a face, in others he is just a silhouette. In one Tony only has one eye and a nose. Hell, there are more drawings of Mariahill than there are of him, and they have been dating for far longer than the two months they've had the cat.

"They're…" starts Steve sheepishly.  
"Yeah," agrees Toy absent-mindedly, even though he has no idea what Steve tried to say.

He'd always thought that Steve was like a ninja-drawer, able to draw someone unnoticed. But if Tony doesn't notice him, it's because Steve doesn't even draw him. And Steve always says that he likes drawing the people he loves…

Tony feels like crying. His throat is tight and his eyes are burning, but he refuses to cry. He's a grown-ass man, he won't cry because he's not good enough to be drawn by his boyfriend.

He is saved by Sam, who arrives and whines lowly.

"Oh look, Sam is ready for a walk! I'll take him out, if you want to continue to draw Bucky."

Tony doesn't give enough time to Steve to answer, already hurrying toward the door, dog in tow. It's only when he is at the corner of the street, dog on a leash, that he realizes it wasn't exactly subtle. He hates walking and never proposes to walk the dog himself. Usually, he describes himself as a last resort when it comes to walks. Well, too bad. He's already out with the dog, the least he can do is to walk him around the neighborhood. For a very, very long time, because he'll face to face Steve when he gets back home.

An hour later, he finds himself entering the house the most silently possible. His objective is to be able to lock himself in the lab before Steve sees Sam. Because Tony is not a monster, he won't bring a dog in a lab full of explosives and dangerous experiments. So, he'll have to leave the dog outside the lab, which means Steve will inevitably see him, and he'll know that Tony's back.

The first part of the plan, which is to enter the house silently, works perfectly. That is, until Tony walks near the living room.

"Hey sleepyhead," he can hear Steve say.

That means that Buck is just waking up. It can be really good or really bad for Tony's plan. Either he will make enough sound to cover Tony's eventual slip-ups, or he will notice Tony himself with his ninja-hearing.

"Hey, did I sleep for long?"  
"Almost two hours," answers Steve.  
"What's wrong?" asks Bucky.

Tony is amazed by how well they can read each other. He thought himself good at reading Steve, but apparently…

"I think I fucked up."  
"What? How? And where is Tony?"  
"He left," says Steve.  
"WHAT?" screams Bucky, alarmed.  
"No! I mean, he went to walk the dog."  
"He never walks the dog," says Bucky, and Tony can hear how dubious he is.  
"Exactly!"  
"So, you fucked up because Tony went to walk the dog?" asks Bucky.  
"No, it's- Argh! This is so complicated! I fucked up and Tony used the dog as an excuse to run away from me."  
"Okay. What happened?"  
"I showed him the sketchbook I have of him."  
"And that is bad because ..?" asks Bucky.

There was a shuffle, and Tony guesses it is Steve showing said sketchbook to Bucky.

"Okay, I understand why he'd be disappointed. But why didn't you show him the other?"

The other? What other? Apparently, Steve is asking himself the same questions because he says:

"What other? It's the only sketchbook of Tony that I have."  
"That's impossible, Steve, you're always drawing. And you always say that it's very important for you to draw the people you love!"  
"But that's the thing! I can't draw him!"

Okay, wow that hurts. Steve hates him so much he can't even force himself to draw him. Maybe Tony was wrong to give Bucky and Steve a shot, all those months ago. Steve had never even liked him, and now he that knew how perfect life with them could be, they would leave him. Tony couldn't believe he'd been dumb enough to believe them and their lies and - 

"You don't understand, Bucky, Tony is hyperactive. He can't stay in place. And I can't draw him if he is always moving around. Look at this drawing! His eyes are right, but they are obviously not in the same angle as his nose and it all looks weird! And do you see how is mouth is weird? It's because he couldn't stop talking and I couldn't draw fast enough, and-"  
"Wait," cut Bucky, "are you saying that Tony ran away with the dog because you can't draw fast enough?"  
"Well, not exactly."  
"What do you mean, not exactly?"  
"Well, I didn't have the time to explain myself."  
"But it's not hard! You just tell him to stop moving for a few minutes so you can draw him! And then there is no miscommunication and our boyfriend isn't lost outside because he thinks you don't want to draw him!"  
"First of all, he's not lost-" says Steve, trying to defend himself.  
"How do you know he's not?" retorts Bucky. "He never goes outside!"

And ok, Tony is offended by that. He goes outside. And look, he even walked the dog for one hour without getting lost (and without doing the same circle over and over, thank you).

"That's false and you know it. Secondly, I tried that. Once. I told him to stay still so I could draw him. And do you know what happened? He put the fridge on fire! From the living room!"  
"I was trying an experiment!" he protests, only to realize too late that he was spying on them.  
"Tony?" asks Steve.

Suddenly Steve and Bucky are in the hallway with him.

"Uhm, hey," tries Tony weakly.  
"So, you've heard what we were saying?" asks Steve.

Tony nods.

"So, you understand? I didn't want to make you feel bad. I just… I love how energetic you always are, and I didn't want to put a damper on that. I didn't want you to feel restricted… I know how you hate to stay still, and…"  
"It's okay, I understand. But you still should have told me. I thought...I thought you just didn't like me enough to draw me. You are always walking around with a sketchbook, and you say that you like drawing the things you love, and that you can look back at your drawings and remember all those cherished memories, and… I just thought you were like a ninja or a secret agent, drawing people subtly, unnoticed. And when I saw that there was no complete drawing of me, I figured it was because you had no cherished memories of me."

Steve starts crying, and Tony cries, too, because he's the one who made Steve cry and he hates making Steve cry.

"You couldn't be more wrong, Tony, I love you so much and I have so many good memories of you, with you."  
"I love you too, Steve. I was so scared that you two would leave me and I can't imagine my life without you and I'm so happy to know that you love me, and it was my fault, because-"

Something changes in Steve's face. Instead of looking sad, his eyes are now firm. His jaw is clenched, and he looks like a feral dog ready to bite someone's head off.

"What do you mean, your fault? You're not at fault here, I'm the one who's not good enough to draw you!"  
"It's not your fault if I can't stop moving! That's on me!"  
"Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Tony, when it's obviously my fault, if-"

"Okay, okay, everyone shut up!" intervenes Bucky. "There's been enough crying and arguing for today and I've just had the best idea. Steve, take your sketchbook and your pencils, and follow me."

On those wise words, Bucky grabs Tony and throws him over his shoulder.

"Stop carrying me like a potato bag!" protest the smaller man.  
"What, do you want me to carry you like a bride? Which one do you prefer?" smirks Bucky.  
"Both! None are bad! Uh, I mean… None! Both are bad! Argh!"  
"Too late!" laughs Bucky.

Bucky leads them in their room and lets Tony fall on the bed.

"I'm not a potato bag, please stop throwing me around!" mutters the engineer, but no one listens to him.  
"Could I have your belt, please, Steve?" asks Bucky.

Steve looks uncertain but executes Buck's orders. He hands over his belt to Bucky, who explains:

"I know of only one instance during which Tony Stark stays still."  
"I've already tried to draw him when he sleeps, it doesn't work. I tried once, and I got a black eye."  
"What? But that was like a year ago! And you said it was because of Sam!"  
"He was such an overexcited puppy, I knew you wouldn't doubt my words! I wasn't going to tell you that you kicked when I was drawing you as you were sleeping. There's just no good way to explain that."  
"The eternal 'I like watching you sleep. I find it fascinating' is usually a good way to go," laughs Bucky.  
"It's better than blaming the dog," laughs Tony.  
"Indeed," agrees Bucky. "But! I already know that Tony is restless even in the middle of the night. However, there is one moment where he usually stays still."  
"I am never still," protests Tony with a proud smirk.  
"That is a lie! I know for a fact that you stay still when you catch your breath after an orgasm."

Steve sputters and reddens.

"Bucky!"  
"Don't worry, Steve. I am ready to sacrifice myself and help you fill an entire sketchbook with Tony's post-coital expressions!"

Steve's entire face is red and even his ears are glowing.

"And to ensure that Tony won't try to escape from his destiny as your muse, I am afraid I will have to tie him to the bed. But first, I will have to undress the sacrifice!"

Tony lets himself be undressed with a smile, but Steve stands awkwardly by the side of the bed.

"You can say no if you don't want to, Tony. And please, Buck, don't say sacrifice, we're not going to kill him."  
"Shush, Steve! I am preparing you an offering to inspire you!"

Tony just laughs and puts his hands over his head, so Bucky can tie them up together. It takes some time to get a good knot, since Bucky is still getting used to his prosthetic. Tony still has a lot to do on the robot arm, but it works well enough for Bucky to bind its inventor without asking for Steve's help.

"Look at how willing our sacrifice is!" he exclaims. "This is our oblation, our gift to the god of the arts-"  
"This roleplay is way too weird," mutters Steve, before saying, louder, "Bucky, stop using big words, you'll hurt yourself!"

But the artist sits down on the side of the bed and takes out his sketchbook and pen. He watches his boyfriend laugh with a big smile on his face. He shouldn't let that sacrifice be in vain. And who knows, maybe he'll even lend a hand to help with the undergoing of the ritual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had planned something cute and fluffy and a bit smutty for the end, and I entirely blame Bucky for the weird roleplay. I am deeply sorry I couldn't control him any better.


	3. Bucky's Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is bored and seeks out Tony who is working in his lab. A serious conversation about their future ensues.

Tony is working on enhancing the new StarkPad when Bucky walks in his lab. It's only 2 pm, and usually Bucky knows to let Tony work alone.

"I'm bored."  
"I'm working, Buck," is all Tony say, concentrated on what his hands are doing.  
"Yeah, but you always work."  
"I work four days a week, Buck, that's not a lot."  
"Yes, but you work a fifth day on prosthetics."

Tony lets out a sigh.

"What do you want, Buck?"  
"I don't know. I'm bored. I don't know what to do."  
"Why don't you head to the gym, or watch something on Netflix?"  
"I already did. I went to the gym for an hour, I walked the dog -twice, this morning and after dinner- and I am now officially up to date on all the series I follow."  
"Start watching a new show?" proposes Tony, still more focused on the newest version of the Starkpad.  
"Tony. I'm not joking."

Tony stops playing with the tablet and turns on his chair to face his boyfriend.

"Then what do you want me to do?"  
"I don't know. I thought… I was thinking that maybe I should look for a job."  
"You know you don't have to," intervenes Tony.

He's made it clear to Bucky plenty of times before. He should take the time to feel better about his arm before throwing himself back to work. Tony has more than enough money to take care of the three of them.  
Tony had told the same to Steve, when he had left the military. But Steve had had no interest in being a kept man and had found a job as an art teacher. At first it had been hard, to find a good spot as a teacher, but knowing that Tony had his back made things easier. When contracts had been scarce, Tony had loaned him enough to pay his rent and buy food. Steve had always made a point of paying him back, though. Tony had been relieved when they had moved in together, since it had made everything easier on that point. "I just happened to need a house to live in" and "I'm not spending money on you, I'm buying food for myself. And since mi casa es su casa, then mi food es su food" had been prominent arguments. Damn Steve and his pride.

But apparently Bucky has the same pride because he says:

"I'm not interested in staying home forever. I need to work, to do something with my life."  
"Ok," nods Tony.  
"Ok?" repeats Bucky, confused.

He probably had a whole speech prepared, guesses Tony.

"Yes, ok. I've told you, you don't have to, but if that's what you want, it's fine by me."  
"Oh," says Bucky, "well, thank you for your support. I just don't know what I want to do."  
"Do you want to go back to the military? Or maybe more something like the police? Or private security?"  
"No," Bucky shakes his head. "I've had enough action. I want something safer. I want to know that I'll come home at the end of the day."

Tony freezes as he understands why Bucky came to him instead of Steve. Steve wouldn't be ready for that kind of comment.

"Well, I think you should be a model for underwear ads," he says because it's easier to joke than to talk about that.  
"Or porn actor," adds Bucky.  
"As if," scoffs Tony, "I'm not ready to share you that much."

Bucky steps forwards and presses a kiss against Tony's lips. It feels good and home and Bucky wants to lose himself to the sensations. Yet he knows that if he does, they'll stop talking about his future, about his plans. And tomorrow he'll go back to walking the dog and watching dumb TV. He steps back, instantly missing the warmth of his boyfriend.

"You could be a cook. You like cooking," proposes Tony.  
"Hum, no. I don't like cooking, I like eating homemade food. I don't want to spend hours in a furnace making food for underserving customers."  
"Yeah, and the schedule is shit."

They both nod at each other, clearly on the same page.

"I was thinking maybe something related to sports. I could coach at a gym or something. I've had training with the army, and I played pretty much every existing sport when I was in high school," Bucky says, ignoring when Tony mutters ugh, jock under his breath.  
"Even curling? And ballet dancing?"  
"You laugh now, but when I was doing ballet dancing, I met this girl, Natalia. She was a fierce lady. One time, she beat up three guys for saying ballet was gay."

Tony simply laughs in response.

"Maybe Steve can tell us if they are looking for a coach or gym teacher at his school. Even if there's an opening, it's no sure thing, though."  
"I know. There's not much I can do with only a high school diploma. Maybe I could try to find something at a VA's office?"

Tony nods and Bucky continues.

"Maybe something related to therapy. I mean, I know what it's like to lose a limb in a traumatic event-"  
"Don't let Steve hear that," jokes Tony, because joking is always easier than dealing with shit.

Bucky lets out a half-laugh, finding humor in the joke even if not in the situation.

"Maybe I could help people deal with it or get better. I think I could be good at that."  
"Yes, you would. But you would have to take classes, get a diploma or something."  
"I know," scoffs Bucky. "I know I'd love it. But I… I've already looked into it, made some research. It's just too much. It's long and it's very expensive. I'm not sure I can afford to take those classes. I don't want to live on yours and Steve's backs forever. I need to find a job and start pulling my weight."  
"Fuck you," says Tony before he can think. "What do you mean, to start pulling your weight? What fucking weight? You're our boyfriend, not a pile of bricks. You do most of the cleaning and almost all of the cooking, isn't that enough? You know I would die before cleaning after me, so you're saving me a housemaid's salary. And since you've started helping around the house, Steve's had more time for his art. Isn't that great? And-"  
"Tony, babe, I just -"  
"No!" protests Tony. "You're not a weight, ok? You're wonderful and I love you and-"

He is stopped only by a kiss. Bucky kisses him until he can feel Tony relax and calm down.

"All I meant," Bucky says, "is that I feel bad about the fact that I'm not helping with the bills. I'm a grown man, I should-"  
"Well, I think your ballet dancer friend Natalie would kick your ass for saying dumb sexist shit like that," Tony cuts in.  
"It's Natalia. And she wouldn't kick my ass, because she'd understand that I meant grown adult and-"  
"All adults are grown. If they're not grown, it's because they're still kids."  
"Tony!"  
"Sorry, I just thought that maybe you needed an explanation about adulthood and grown… Is it grownness? Growniness?"

Bucky just breathes in and then out, ignoring Tony's cocky smile.

"It's growth, Tony."  
"Oh, yeah. Well, since we've cleared up that you're not a weight, are you going to take those classes? When do they start? When can you apply? Where is it? You really deserve the best teachers, you know. Would it be day classes or night classes?

Bucky stares at him.

"What?" asks Tony.  
"So, you really think this is a good idea?"  
"If that's what you want to do, then hell yeah!"  
"But what if it's not?"  
"Well then, you quit your classes and find something else. I'm not going to judge you. I want you to find a job you'll love, and that's what Steve wishes for you, too."  
"I can't afford to go to classes and then quit, Tony," Bucky protests.  
"Oh no, what are you going to do? It's not like one of your boyfriends is a freaking billionaire!"  
"I don't want your pity, Tony!"  
"Oh right, because I can't genuinely want to help the man I love. I don't understand you and Steve! Everyone I've ever known, every-fucking-one I've ever met, they all wanted a part of the pie. They've all wanted to use me to get to my money. But you two refuse everything! You are so unnerving! I don't understand! When poor people use a large part of their tiny income to help their loved ones, it's devotion and support and love, but if I use a tiny part of my huge income, it's pity?"  
"Tony," Bucky says, trying to calm down his lover.  
"No! No, listen to me. Steve and you deserve the whole world, but you won't let me buy a big house because 'it's not like we need it, Tony' and you won't let me buy nice cars because 'you shouldn't spend so much money on us, Tony' and you won't let me pamper you as you deserve. I don't know how to deal with this! Whenever I give you expensive gifts it's either out of pity or because I'm a show-off. But don't you think about how I feel, when it's your birthdays or an anniversary, and I want to celebrate? I always have to choose between feeling cheap or a polite refusal because 'it's too much, Tony'. I never know on which foot to stand with you guys! And now I have to see you struggle to pay for classes, for your future, and I should just stand by and watch you struggle, even though I could help you? Do you even realize what you're asking from me? Do you realize how unfair you are being?"  
"I'm sorry, Tony," Bucky says as he presses kisses against Tony's face. "But Steve and I are used to fighting to get what we want. That's how we were raised. A person's worth is based on their acts, on what they do. And if you do it all for us, then that means that we're nothing without you."  
"But that's where you're wrong. I'm not the one who will attend those classes, who will do those exams. That's on you. A person's worth, as you say, isn't based on who pays their tuition. It's based on their skills, on their grades, on their achievements. I'm giving you tools you can use to prove your worth."

They stare into the other's eyes for a minute. Bucky finally nods.

"Okay. Okay. We'll do it your way."  
"Perfect. I'm going to finish working. Tonight, when Steve will be back home, we'll discuss schools and programs, alright?"  
"Sure. I'll start looking, and I'll show you what I find."

Bucky goes to leave the lab, but Tony calls him back.

"Hey, you're leaving without kissing me? Where are my sugar daddy perks?"

Bucky turns around and faces Tony, who is smiling widely. It only takes him a few seconds to walk across the room and kiss his boyfriend. His hands -both the real and the prosthetic one- grab Tony's waist. Tony wraps his arms around Bucky's neck and shoulders. The kisses deepen, and Bucky's real hand starts rubbing Tony's crotch. The engineer moans loudly.

"Alright, daddy," smirks Bucky before kissing Tony again.  
"Eww," protests Tony, swatting away his boyfriend. "You know what, forget what I've just said. Don't call me daddy. That's the only kink I don't have."

They laugh, kiss again and again, and then christen the desk for an eighteenth time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a summary of Bucky and Steve's military life, since a bit is mentioned in this chapter and a bit was written in the first story: Bucky and Steve decided to join the military together. Bucky got in, but pre-serum Steve didn't. By the time Steve buffed up (because in this world the serum is called determination), got in the military and did all the needed formations, Bucky was presumed dead. So, Steve quit because he didn't want to be in the military without Bucky. So that's when he met Tony and became an art teacher. I hope that clears up any possible confusion :)


	4. I Can't Live Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony is a smol coffee addict with (more or less) amazing boyfriends

Tony looks in his boyfriends' eyes and says, with all the seriousness of this world.

"This isn't working."

Bucky, who is holding Pietro, lets the cat down.

"When you said 'we need to talk' I didn't know that Pietro was excluded," he frowns.  
"I'm not talking about the cat! I'm talking about us! I'm talking about what's been happening lately!"

Steve looks uncertain.

"You mean us?"  
"Yes! What else could I be talking about?"

Bucky fights the urge to get the cat back, so he can hide behind him. Why is Tony so aggressive? Worse, how can he even say those words? Is he going to break up with them?

"Why are you mad, Tony?" tries Steve.

There is a slight tremor in his voice, and it makes Bucky angry. There is nothing worse than seeing Steve cry and Tony looks too angry to care about that.

"The cups!" Tony screams. "The cups! You both are tall! And beefy! And tall! And I can't reach the cups! It's all your fault, because you are tall and I am not, and I can't reach the cups! The cups! The cups are too high for me! Why do you, tall people, need to put the cups so high? They are too high! I can't reach them! And now I can't drink coffee! All the cups are too high, and I can't drink coffee! The coffee! Coffee is good, coffee is life. I like coffee. But I can't drink coffee, because the cups are too high in the cabinets, and I can't reach the cups, and it's all your fault!! It's because of you two that the cups are too high and I can't reach them! I refuse to climb on the counter to reach them, do you hear me? I won't climb on the counter. So, I can't reach the cups. Because of you. I can't drink because of you. I need coffee. I need to work. But I can't work without coffee. So, I can't work without cups. I need a cup, do you understand? I can't continue like this. I need a cup. I need coffee. I need energy. In the form of coffee. Coffee I can't drink because the cups are too high, and-"

"Why don't you use a stool?" proposes Bucky without thinking, mostly to stop Tony from spurting more words.

"Why don't you use a stool?" repeats Tony. "Why don't I use a stool? Because I broke the stool! The stool broke! While I was on it! Because you put the cups too high for me! I had to use a stool! In my own house! To reach my cups! For my coffee! It was my stool, but now it's broken, and I can't have a cup to drink coffee, but I want coffee. No! I need coffee. I need it to flow in my veins. I need it more than blood. I need it more than pizza. More than sex!"

Tony suddenly pauses.

"Wait. No. Do I need sex or coffee more? Coffee is good. But sex is good, too. And I don't need a cup to have sex. But if I wasn't having sex with you, I'd have cups for my coffee."

"Tony," says Steve to try and calm him.

But the genius doesn't seem to hear.

"Coffee or sex? Cups or no cups? Maybe sex and a bowl? No, I can't disrespect coffee like that. I need a cup. But the cups are in the cabinet and I can't reach them. What to do, what to do. I need a cup. Coffee. The cups are too high. Because of you. The cups are high. I need coffee. A cup. I need a cup. And coffee. Coffee is good, coffee is life. Coffee… I need coffee!"

Tony lets himself fall on the floor.

"I can't go on like this. I want coffee. I need coffee. I want a cup. I need a cup. And I have neither. The cabinets are too high. The cabin- A cabin! I don't have a cabin? I should have a cabin. Maybe the cabinets would be lower. The cups would be lower. I could reach the cups. I could have coffee. I have to go. I need a cabin. I need coffee."

Suddenly he looks up to his boyfriends and starts crying.

"I don't have a cabin! I can't have coffee! What is life without coffee! I can't go on like this! I want coffee! I don't want to live without my coffee!"  
"Steve, can you go make a cup of coffee, please? And draw a smiley with the cream or something?" asks Bucky.

Steve nods and leaves for the kitchen.

"Hey Tones," softly says Bucky as he lowers himself to be the same height as Tony. "I know things that are better than coffee and sex."

Tony looked up to him expectantly.

"What?" he croaks.  
"Love. Kisses. Steve. Me. You."  
"You're not funny, Bucky. I have a very serious problem."  
"Or so I've heard. But I'm not joking. I can prove it to you."

Bucky puts his knees on the floor, lowering himself until he can reach Tony's face with his lips. The first kiss is on Tony's nose. The next is on his forehead. The next hundreds are all over his face, until Tony is squirming.

"Okay, okay! You win. Now stop, it tickles."  
"Since I win, you have to do what I want," says Bucky.

Tony doesn't even protest to that, nor does he complain when Bucky grabs him like a princess and leads them to the bedroom, which proves how truly tired he is.

"I need coffee before I blow you, though," he still says.

It makes Bucky laughs. He's glad Steve isn't here to hear it, or he would rant about how Bucky shouldn't force Tony to have sex with him under the pretense that he won. Steve has yet to understand that Bucky would never force Tony -or anyone for that matter- to do something he doesn't want. Steve also has yet to understand that Tony really loves giving blowjobs.

"It's not why I brought you here. I was thinking we could cuddle, you and I."

He lays Tony gently on the bed, but the brunette tries to stand up.

"I need coffee. And cups. And coffee. And c-"  
"Later, Tony. Steve is making coffee right now. But for now, we are cuddling, okay?"  
"Coffee later?"  
"Yes."  
"You promise?"  
"Pinky promise."  
"Okay then."

It takes less than two minutes for Tony to fall asleep. When he is sure Tony won't wake up soon, Bucky untangles himself from his boyfriend. Steve arrives in the room at that moment, a hot mug in his hands. He quickly understands that Tony is sleeping and waits until they are both out of the room with the door closed behind them, that he asks for a full report.

"He just needed to sleep," says Bucky.

He steals the cup of coffee from Steve's hands.

"A heart, cute," he says before taking a sip.

Steve looks horrified.

"Bucky!" he almost screams until he realizes that Tony is sleeping and he can't talk too loud. "It's Tony's."  
"But Tony is sleeping, and I bet he'll sleep for quite a few hours. He's been awake for," Bucky glances at the clock, "almost 69 hours."

He looks at Steve, wiggles his eyebrows and repeats: "69."  
Steve just huffs in annoyance.

"When he'll wake up, that cup will be cold," the brunette continues to explain. "Plus, I need caffeine if I'm going to put all the cups into dwarf's reach."

Steve sends him a glare.

"You planned this! You knew he would fall asleep when you asked me to make coffee!"

Bucky just takes another sip, staring right into Steve's eyes.

"Oh my god, you're such an ass!" says the blonde.  
"But I'm your ass," replies Bucky cheekily.

Steve glares another time and steals the cup back.

"This is mine. I made it. Plus, I need caffeine if I'm going to help you put all the cups into dwarf's reach."

They both snicker and head to the kitchen. Time to work.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd just like to point out that no, animals are not good surprise gifts. If you want to gift one to someone, make sure that person wants one and is ready for the responsibilities that come with owning a pet.


End file.
